Paul and I recently made a big decision, which is requiring a lot of money and a lot of planning…
We’re going on a blowout vacation to Sevilla and Barcelona, Spain, and Bordeaux, France, this fall.
What did you think I was going to say? That we’re trying to get pregnant? 😉
Truth be told, that’s why we’re going all out. We love to travel (that’s us on my favorite trip so far–Tuscany, Italy) and, while jet-setting is possible with a baby, we know it’s much more complicated, and Paul and I prefer easy things. And although babymoons are nearly as commonplace as honeymoons now, it’d be just my luck to go into premature labor in a foreign country where I don’t speak the language. Besides, my pregnant pals have warned me that fetuses suck all the energy from you and make it difficult to sleep comfortably–and sightseeing on little energy and no rest doesn’t sound like a vacation to me. So this is likely to be our last major trip before we attempt to expand our family.
When I told my now numerous mom friends about our multi-destination European vacation, the responses were all pretty similar. These are direct quotes:
“I’m jealous.”
“That’s where we wanted to go before we got pregnant.”
“I wish I could take a trip like that now!”
Rather than patting myself on the back for coming up with the not-so-novel idea of seeing the world before family forces you to stay home most of the time, I started wishing my mom friends didn’t envy my impending vacation. None of these women got pregnant accidentally or at a stage in their lives when they couldn’t afford a trip like this. In fact, two of these women have been (gently) pushing me to join the mom club, yet they never said, “Make sure you travel first–you’ll regret it if you don’t.”
So, not-yet-knocked-up ladies, take this non-mom’s advice: Travel. Do things you’ve always wanted to do that will be much trickier as a prego or mother. Our biological clocks may not allow us to see every corner of the earth before time runs out, but give your body a little credit and trust that you’ll still be fertile after a couple of jaunts to Europe.
What’s on your baby bucket list? Mom readers: What advice do you wish you’d gotten before you you got pregnant?
More About Babies
Maybe to Baby: Lauren Realized She Was Less Not Ready for a Family
Promise to My Future Baby: I Won’t Send Out Photos of You Looking Like an Alien
A Marriage First: Buying Clothes With a Baby Bump in Mind
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